On Ar-Ridha’s Words on the Reasons for Various Things

32-19 Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Idris - may God be pleased with him - narrated that his father quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn al-Nadhr that he had asked Abal Hassan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام, “Imagine that two people are on a journey. One of them passes away and the other one is in a state of major ritual impurity. There is only enough water for making the ablution of the corpse or the ablution of the person in a state of major ritual impurity. What should the water be used for?” Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام replied, “The person who is in a state of major ritual impurity should use the water for making ablutions, since this is an obligatory act. He should leave the dead, since making the ablutions for the dead is a part of the tradition (of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم and is not obligatory).”